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It is not often that an England captain scores back-to-back centuries in India
and it must be even rarer that such an achievement is reduced to the status
of supporting role. But Alastair Cook, after facing 270 balls as he set the
platform for England’s second Test victory with his first-innings century,
admitted that it was Kevin Pietersen’s brilliant century that turned the
game.

On a pitch on which most batsmen struggled to impose themselves against the
turning ball, Pietersen struck 186 from 233 balls to give England the a
first-innings lead of 86. And although Monty Panesar and Graeme